Principal Gnc Engineer - Autonomy Algorithm Developer

Northrop Grumman Northrop Grumman · Aerospace · El Segundo, CA +1 · Systems/Architecture/Test

Develops and implements guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) algorithms for autonomous unmanned aircraft, including control laws, dynamic simulation models, and flight test analysis. Requires expertise in MATLAB, Simulink, and linear control principles.

What you'd actually do

  1. Design, develop, implement, verify, and test algorithms, software, and simulation tools to perform guidance, navigation and control (GNC) of autonomous unmanned aircraft.
  2. Develop control laws both on ground and in flight.
  3. Design outer and inner loop control laws, and associated logic and autonomy functions, with a focus on outer loop.
  4. Develop air vehicle system linear and non-linear dynamic simulation models and integrate models into software and hardware-in-the-loop simulation environments.
  5. Support flight test activities and analyze air vehicle flight test data.

Skills

Required

  • Bachelor's degree in a relevant Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) discipline with 5 years of related experience; OR Master’s degree in a relevant STEM discipline with 3 years of related experience; OR a PhD in a relevant STEM discipline with 1 year of related experience.
  • Working knowledge of fixed-wing aircraft flight dynamics.
  • Experience using linear control principles and tools to design feedback control systems.
  • Experience analyzing non-linear simulations of aircraft closed-loop dynamics.
  • Working knowledge of autopilot functions.
  • Working knowledge of outer loop control law performance requirements.
  • Experience using MATLAB to create, process, analyze, and visually represent data.
  • Experience using Simulink to model dynamic systems.
  • Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a US Government Secret clearance and Special Access Program (SAP) within a reasonable amount of time as determined by business needs

Nice to have

  • Current active in-scope US Government Secret security clearance or higher, with the ability to obtain Special Program Access (SAP).
  • Knowledgeable in flight sciences, outer loop control algorithms, optimal trajectory generation techniques (e.g. RRT, A-star) and air vehicle missions (e.g. shipboard operations, search)
  • Familiarity with C/C++ programming.
  • Familiarity with Python programming.
  • Familiarity with Java programming.
  • Experience with autonomy algorithms (Autonomous Taxi/ Take Off and Landing, etc.) for driving control laws.
  • Familiarity with Simulink Stateflow Modeling

What the JD emphasized

  • Secret clearance
  • Special Access Program (SAP)